Responsibility

Here’s a breath of fresh air. Someone taking responsibility for his organisation.

Tokyo Stock Exchange president Takuo Tsurushima has resigned following a 40bn yen ($333m; £190m) trading error.

This month the exchange's computer systems failed to cancel a mistaken order to sell 610,000 shares for 1 yen, instead of one share for 610,000 yen. The trade in shares of recruitment firm J-Com was done by Mizuho Securities and dented the reputation of the exchange.

It came only weeks after a computer glitch caused the world's second largest market to close for four hours. The stock exchange's problems come at a time when it is considering plans to float its own shares next year. When the trader realised he had made an error in the J-Com order, which happened on 8 December, Mizuho tried repeatedly to cancel the transaction, but a fault in the exchange system prevented them from doing so.

Mr Tsurushima, 67, said he was accepting responsibility and stepping down.

In the west, the tradition of shouldering any responsibility for anything seems to have fallen by the wayside. Tony Bliar lied about the reasons for invading Iraq. In 1997 he promised that his government would legislate to prevent tuituion fees being imposed for further education. He then introduced tuition fees. Kept his job though. Only last week Bush admitted similar mistakes over Iraq and of course he presided over the shambolic relief effort following Katrina, but he kept his job. Sir Ian Bliar, commissioner of the Met has been proven to be a liar. The press conference he gave after the execution of Jean Charles de Menezes was a fantasy from beginning to end. Yet Bliar (Ian) also remains in his job. Is it too much to expect honesty and integrity from our officials? Hell, we shouldn’t be expecting it we should be demanding it. Does anybody care? Hello, hello……